Moving to Vietnam

Posted by fromgeeseye (128 days ago)

I'm a Canadian male and I'm moving to Vietnam from Toronto in the fall to be with my Vietnamese wife (married in April in Hai Phong) and I have a bunch of questions.
1. What can I expect as far as earning a living teaching english with a TESL certificate?
2. What is the rate of pay to be expected at first?
3. Is it easy or hard to find teaching jobs in Vietnam?
4. How do I "declare myself" an "Expat"?
5. What is the tax situation?
6. What benefits are there to me being married to a Vietnamese lady and living in Vietnam?
7. If I wanted to start a business, what issues do I have to face?

If there is anything else that anyone would to tell me that they think I should know, please feel free to tell.

Thanks much!!

Glen

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Posted by ldldjr (123 days ago)

There is a big demand for English teachers - there are periodic ads in the Viet Nam News and no doubt other papers as well. A teofl or equivalent certificate and native speaker should get you into most schools.

The pay is not all that great - if you have no significant expenses that you bring along from Canada you should be able to live comfortably, but you won't get rich!

You don't declare yourself anything - as a foreigner you will be an expat - never a Vietnamese. :^)

You will be subject to Vietnamese taxes and the school will (and should under law) withhold your tax payments.

If you marry a Vietnamese lady she will be able to buy property (house, land, etc.) that you as a foreigner can not. She would also give you access to a resident permit - as an unmarried expat you will be getting visas probably on a yearly basis. My last business visa cost $250, multiple entry. If you are hired by a school, they should handle the visa issues for you, at a savings. Who knows, they may even pay for it!

Starting a business is potentially a rocky experience but many expats do. I don't know the details of that one, but I am pretty sure, as anywhere else, starting a business is not easy, and VN has its own unique spices to add to the pot!

Posted by Highway-9 (107 days ago)

(1) Your best market for your teaching skills will be in Ha Noi (that is near Hai Phong). There are fewer demands for your skills in Hai Phong which is predominantly an oil industry servicing base and big in coal handling!
(2) As the other poster suggested, not as much as Canada! It very much depends on where you are hired and on what basis. Note that INFLATION is expected to hit 30% THIS YEAR by years end. Gas prices just went up 30%.
(3) It is easy to locate school using the VNPT Yellow Pages (on-line) then you simply canvass each one. Note that the VN government needs documentation supporting your skills training. Leave work visa application, etc. up to the school as they know how to expedite applications (they won't accept bribes from you at Immigration).
(4) Your presence is quickly noticed and when you have remained in one location for more than a few days the locals will know you are not a tourist. You will also learn the police have long tentacles and deal with almost every facet of life including granting permission for you to occupy a property. If you ever want to gain VN citizenship you will have to renounce your Canuck status.
(5) Let your employer worry about it. I am a part owner in a business in VN and I have completely washed my hands of figuring what taxes should be paid - which is why I have an accountant. VAT (sales taxes) are often not applied unless you ask for an official receipt.
(6) Marrying a VN citizen (gay/lesbian marriages are legal here, BTW) gets you a 5-year visa that permits you 90-day entry at no charge. Armed with this (you will need your marriage certificate) you can stay 90 days, then do a border run (most convenient in Hai Phong is China) and then stay another 90 days. If you want to move and settle here you will need to follow a more complex process - starting with a Canadian police certificate that you have no criminal record. Note that almost everything in VN life needs police consent.
You CAN buy property in VN although it is more a time-limited freehold (75 years) which is negated by the fact your wife has VN citizenship which makes a purchase a simple purchase. BE VERY CAREFUL when buying property and make sure that the 'title' is good and clear. This is more important in the former South VietNam (south of DMZ) as many abandoned properties were then occupied by VN remaining in VN after the American War and the government then 'awarded' many owners 'ownership' which is where complications arise. Foreigners can buy land in HCMC, Ha Noi and Da Nang at this time.
Living in the VN community, as opposed to living in ex-pat enclaves, makes life more enjoyable and much cheaper. I personally don't think ex-pats should be allowed to setup enclaves although these days with rising incomes some VN can actually afford to move into such enclaves.
(7) Starting a business is simple - with a VN wife. A few forms and you are there. The VN government love foreigners as most of them simply send in their tax remittances whereas with VN businesses it often requires a visit.

(A) If you have children, they will be VN citizens. I suggest that you also register the birth with the Canadian Embassy. I know some VN wives object to this as they are afraid their husband might take their children away at some time. Talk this over with your wife. If she objects I still suggest you discretely register the birth anyway and then the child will be eligible for a passport. IF the VN government learns of this it might cause minor hassles such as needing a visa to enter VN. Your child would exit /re-enter VN on the VN passport and then use a Canadian passport for use outside the country. This is what I do with my daughter.
(B) If you are thinking of going to Canada in the future, with your wife, I suggest you register your marriage with the Embassy as this will make it easier to obtain visas as you can more easily prove yours is not a marriage of convenience.
(C) You will need a VN driving licence. I obtained mine by enrolling with a driving school and then learning the necessary VN words in order to answer the driving written test (available online). The actual test for motorcycles involves going around a figure 8 (painted on the ground) and then exiting and stopping, on command, safely. The driving school instructor actually used my money to bribe the tester to guarantee I passed the written test. Your licence will need three photos and be issued for the length of your visa. Most VN then totally ignore all the 'rules' (there is no Highway Act, per se). Speed traps abound (radar and laser), thanks to foreign donor countries, in VN and keeping to a city limit of 40kph and national limit of 60kph. Comprehensive 'insurance' for a motorcycle costs VND85,000 (just over $5) which also means it is pretty useless. Car is much more expensive. Learn to drive passively, unlike other Western countries, and be prepared for demonstrations of the most skilled, but poor driving!
(D) Electricity supplies are unreliable with many interruptions which are far fewer in HCMC and Ha Noi (and DakLak where we have an agreement that says we won't be cut off - the generators for HCMC are also in our province). Water quality is variable - I drink HCMC water but only boiled / processed public water elsewhere. I have a well at home and it is fine. Sewage disposal is terrible - rivers and coastal waters are polluted by untreated sewage. Poor sewage equates to poor drinking water quality.
(E) Use VN schools for the younger years and then make teaching language choices later.
(F) VN cable TV has a few 'Western' channels, which are censored (Iraq and Myanmar are trigger words for a 'satellite feed failure. If there are colour bars the censor in Ha Noi cut the program, if silence or blank screen it is the local cable provider. Foreigners can get satellite dish permits that allow them to view satellites without censorship. Amateur radio licences are also granted.

I have been here for 17 years (ex-Canada) and have had a ball - living in Hai Phong you will get hints of winter and the annual storms that blow in from the South China sea!

Posted by fromgeeseye (106 days ago)

WOW, thanks for all the great information sir!! CAM UN!!